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The team from Charity Navigator, the nation's largest independent charity evaluator and leading donor advocate, shares their thoughts on emerging nonprofit-sector issues and offers tips to better inform your intelligent giving decisions.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Are You Guilty of this Bad Habit?

I came across an article recently that listed 7 bad decisions wealthy people make with their money. Number 5 immediately caught my eye. Here it is:

5) Charitable giving is haphazard and unfulfilling.
Most wealthy givers donate based on obligation, personal relationships or whichever charity catches them at the right time. It doesn’t have to be this way. Charitable giving can be a fulfilling endeavor and there are some good tools that can help you align your money and passions. CharityNavigator.org is a good place to start.

Of course, I can’t disagree with the last sentence. But I do disagree that this tip only applies to the 1% -- or even the 5% or 10%. This applies to all of us donors. We all need to me more thoughtful in our charitable endeavors.

It really doesn’t take much time to map out a charitable giving plan. Use your time stuck in lines, commuting to work or in the dentist chair to start thinking about which charitable causes are most important to you and how much you can afford to give. Then, the next time you’re online, stop by Charity Navigator to find some really great charities doing that work. Finally, make a commitment to support those charities and a promise to yourself to say no to your old haphazard giving ways!

1 comment:

You should always give with a purpose. Giving is so rewarding and definitely fulfilling. When you give, make sure it counts. Don't just throw money out there, put it to good use. I have a website called www.whatsmypart.com and it's about giving and making your time and money go towards something bigger. Great thought. Thanks for sharing!